Estoy entusiasmada!‏

Hola todos! No, I haven't gotten my visa yet, but CRAZY NEWS!

• Today was transfers! I am now in a SPANISH SPEAKING AREA! Bellevue to be exact!

• And guess who my companion (s) is/are! Hermana Alley from my district/bedroom in the MTC!!! And hermana Laney who is also way cool! Ahh!

But I'm sad because I have grown to love my old area Edmonds SO much!! It was SOOO hard leaving, oh my goodness. It was SO hard. Right next to the beautiful Puget Sound EVERY DAY! Beautiful cool, salty air. Wheew. Love. I said goodbye to my favorite people, and it was so sad. I loved the Edmonds ward. They had their heads on straight. haha I've grown to absolutely LOVE my companion Sister Thomspon SO much, it was rediculous how much fun we were having and how successful we were. I just loved it there so much, I never wanted to leave. Right when I got to know the area like the back of my hand, I had to GO! haha but I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I LOVE my new companions now though! I've been companions with them for a whole hour now! haha 

 

AHH I was so excited to hear I was comps with Hermana Alley! That woman is my hero! We're in a spanish branch and I am, dare I say it, STOKED! It is SO great to hear about all that's going on a home! Ah! 

 

Pa is legitimately getting baptized on Saturday! So exciting! I am so happy for him. Too bad I won't be there :/ 

 

Shout outs to those people that emailed me! I LOVE YOU ALL, I just don't have time to email y'all this week. We have to go get food for the rest of the week, and then we have an appointment! Woo! :)

 

Challege of the week for you all: Read the Introduction to the Book of Mormon and do what it says with real intent. Real intent means that you really intend on acting upon the answer you get. Even if you already know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, do what the introduction asks anyways. We as missionaries do it consistently, and it changes your life. It's changed mine. The Book of Mormon will bring you closer to God than you ever have been before. It has for me.

 

Keep it real!

 

Hermana Gardner

 

P.S. I have changed addresses, so don't send anything to Edmonds if you feel so inclined. haha I will let you know my new address soon! :) Actually (Mom) you can give everyone the mission office address to send letters to! It would be on my call packet that you copied. Letters get sent there and they send them to me wherever I am. It's nice!

 

"God loves you the way you are- just too much to let you stay that way." -- Brother McKay's mom (our old Ward Mission leader that served in Raleigh NC.)

P.S.S. Dad! The Hickman's in the Edmonds ward were the Mission President for the Raleigh North Carolina Mission in the 90's! They were so happy to hear you served there :) And the Hickmans are the parents of Sister Pickett (Roger and Jeanie I believe) who may be related to the Picketts in our stake who are from the bay area? Anywho, I don't know. haha

 

MOM! Or dad! Tell Sister Maples that I went to the Hunter's house for dinner the other night and the son goes to BYU-I and served in HER ward in Georgetown Georgia (Savannah) for 6 weeks! And He knows Sister Maples! His name was Elder Hunter. Pass that along, would ya?

 

Scripture of the day: Jacob 4:13- The spirit testifies of things as they really are. This is reality, people!